Sacral Objects as Military Resources in the Eastern Roman Empire from Justinian to Heraclius (C04)

• Subject Area: Ancient History
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 230856760

This project discusses the frequent use of sacral objects for military regards in the time span from 540 (reign of Justinian) to Heraclius (610 ; 641). In this period, the military resource regime came under pressure because of successful Persian attacks; the material and personal resources appeared insufficient. Yet, certain sacral objects were regarded as so successful in local contexts that they became renowned beyond their original region. The project will analyse the growing use of sacral objects in war as an example for the substitution of resources and for the transformation of a resource regime putting it in the context of contemporary discourses of weakness.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1095: Discourses of Weakness and Resource Regimes
• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Hartmut Leppin